Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1887-05-05
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES
James J. Reeves Plain Talk to
Young Men.

When o'clock rolledround Thursday
night, Gymnasium Hall, where the
third of the series of Plain Talks was
to be held, was alive with young ath-
letes, on the bars and other parapher-
MALTA of the institution. A few mo-
ments later and the hundred chairs in
front of the speakers desk were filled
by young men and boys. After the
introduction, James J. Reeves, the
speaker of the evening, arose and said
that in looking before him and seeing
the large number Of young men who
were present, some of whom had
walked mile or more, he felt highly
complimented. Golden Opportuni-
ties and how to Improve Them was
his subject. And he said that this
invitation to speak to the young men
had come to him like golden oppor
tunity. He thought there was not
enough plain talking in the world.
People are too conservative, and afraid
to speak out their minds. Vile men
will pollute the very air with their
oaths and yet not be rebuked.
He thought that all men, whether
in professional life or common labor,
should be complimented occasionally
when they do good piece of work.
This is a double pleasure-a pleasure
to the giver as we'll as to the recipient.
Kind words are links in the golden
chain which binds heart to heart.
These remarks, he said, were only a
prelude or introductory to the subject
in question.
He asked the question, where will
we find these golden opportunities?
He said that opportunities could be
found in everything and everywhere.
History and all other studies are filled
with golden opportunities. In works
of poetry, in song, do we find these
opportunities
No less golden, said he, my young
friends, are the feeting moments of
time, which are bearing US on toward
eternity. Our serious business is how
to seize these golden opportunities.
Time is not the property of one single
one, but is the common property Of
all. The babe in the cradle or the
maniac in the Asylum. Now that we
have seen where we can find some of
these golden opportunities, now let us
see how some of them are lost.
Through sheer neglect when these
opportunities are shown, we do not
seize them and let them go. We must
have our eyes open to see, and our
wits about us to grasp these rare priv
ileges. Again golden opportunities
are lost by giving too great attention
to trifiing and pernicious amusements.
The speaker believed in amusements.
He hoped that all could see the neces-
sity of making home joyous and at
tractive to keep the young in doors.
To keep them from going out to club
rooms, and indulge in amusements
which are likely to prove a great OBJ
stacle in the way of the young man.
He had not time to mention more of
the many ways in which we neglected
to seize the golden opportunities when
they presented themselves.
And now in closing, he wished to
say few practical words in the way
of a suggestion. He would do all he
could to cultivate sound physical
condition. This he thought invalua-
BILE He believed that physical train
ing with the end in view of bettering
gone's condition was to be commended.
He said his lecture would not be
complete if he did not add the crown
ing precept Of educating the heart.
OF little avail is it if our heads are
right and our hearts are wrong. All
our actions take color from the heart
K In closing he wanted to say that in
this the closing of the 10Th century
there was never q wider field than
now America itself was field suffi-
cient to work in and he quoted figures
from statistics to prove that it was the
greatest country under heaven, and by
the grace of God he expected that it
always would be. He said that bill
lions of people could live in this United
States, and that the air itself was full
of Golden Opportunities.
Mr.. Reeves said that he had address
sed a letter to Mr.. John Wanamaker,
of Philadelphia, telling him of this
address and asking him which of the
golden opportunities within his reach
more than others, were used by him
in securing his great success, and just
before he had come from home to the
hall, the following dispatch came to
him which he would read for the
benefit of his audience:
Thinking, trying, toiling and trust
ing in God"
T. JOHN WANAMAKER